Unfamiliar and sometimes unintuitive interface navigation. Few tablet apps compared with competing platforms. Two separate control panels and browsers could cause confusion.

Bottom Line

Windows 8 is a bold innovation, melding the worlds of tablets and PCs. Its excellent touch input, an app store, and better performance are compelling, but the changes will be too drastic for some and as a completely new product, a few rough edges remain.

Getting Started with the New InterfaceWhen you start up Windows 8 for the first time, you're treated to a mini-tutorial on using Windows 8 during initial setup: Simple text and diagrams show you how to swipe in from the sides of the screen (if you're on a tablet) or to move the mouse pointer to the corners of the screen if you're using mouse and keyboard. Once users digest these two simple gesture types, they've got a lot of what's needed to operate Windows 8 under their belts.

When you first run the OS, you need to go through a four-step setup—Personalize, Wireless setup, Settings, and Sign in. Each step is very simple and uncluttered, using the readable Windows 8 sans serif Segoe font.

The choice of colors is one reason Microsoft decided to go with a new Windows logo that didn't specify set colors. You just tap one of the 25 choices along a bar, and the background instantly changes to reflect your choice. The only other choice on this Personalize setup page is to enter a name for the device.

The Wireless setup is a matter of tapping your Wi-Fi SSID from the typical list showing signal strength bars, with an optional "Connect automatically" check box that's checked by default. You can actually skip this step, but that will limit your Windows 8 experience. Hit Connect, and then you're asked for a password if your router requires one. For a deeper dive into networking in Windows 8 read, Windows 8 Wireless Networking Secrets Revealed.

The Settings page of this initial setup process is more complex and text-heavy—unless you just use Express settings. That choice sets the device to automatically install updates; turns on malware protection; sends Microsoft usage data; lets apps access your location, name, and account picture, enables network sharing; and sets the localization to U.S. English. If you instead choose Customize, you are simply taken through a page for each of these choices.

Signing InNext comes signing in to a Microsoft ID. It's optional, but you'll lose several benefits if you don't. In order to download apps from the Windows Store and take advantage of the SkyDrive cloud service that stores files and photos and syncs your settings with other machines, you need to sign in. You can sign into a "local account" instead, but as I noted you'll lose a lot of advantages of Windows 8 and apps designed to use these services. One of these is the ability to directly email from within an app, such as the Photos app—something I've used often.

Even after you do log in with a Windows ID, you are asked for a mobile phone number or alternate email address, about which the setup says, "We'll only use this info to help you recover your password and keep your account more secure." Nevertheless, it seems similar to the way Facebook tries to verify your identity.

The Windows Start InterfaceAfter you're done setting up and signing in, you finally get your first look at the Windows 8 Start screen. This grid-like display of brightly colored rectangular "live tiles" is where you launch any apps, control settings, and enter the more traditional Windows desktop. The tiles are "live" because they flash information from the apps they represent—Mail shows the latest inbox items, Finance shows stock quotes, and so on. If you find these distracting, luckily you can turn it all off in PC Settings | Notifications.

Speaking of Settings, one of Windows 8's rough edges is that there are two Settings areas—the new-style Settings page accessible from the Charms, and the traditional Control Panel. And unfortunately, there's no link from the simple settings page to the advanced panel.

After a shutdown and restart, you'll see the lock screen (which will be familiar to any smart phone user). On this you can see battery charge, Wi-Fi signal strength, and notifications for email and any other apps you've allowed. You can optionally boot from a USB stick or other external device or disc by changing a PC setting. To dismiss the lock screen and launch the Start screen, just swipe up on a touchscreen or tap any key on a keyboard or your mouse button.

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Michael Muchmore is PC Magazine’s lead analyst for software and Web applications. A native New Yorker, he has at various times headed up PC Magazine’s coverage of Web development, enterprise software, and display technologies. Michael cowrote one of the first overviews of Web Services (pretty much the progenitor of Web 2.0) for a general audience. Before that he worked on PC Magazine’s Solutions section, which in those days covered programming techniques as well as tips on using popular office software. Most recently he covered Web...
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